Rise of the Dragon King
by wesleykim829
Summary: When a dangerous dragon escapes from a seemingly routine raid, Hiccup is able to track it to a far off kingdom and capture it. But with a trio of Warlords intending to use the dragon as a superweapon to destroy the Vikings of Berk, Hiccup and the Dragon Riders must form new alliances and hope they can reach the dragon before the Warlords do!
1. Raid Before Breakfast

The ocean mist cast a dull, cold stillness over the three ships, leaving them stranded in the water as they wait for the fog to dissipate. A wait made longer by the dread of guarding their cargo. A group of four soldiers patrolled the deck, with their lanterns squeaked as they swung. But suddenly, they heard the sound of something igniting. The four dashed towards where the sound came from, but when they arrived, the only thing they saw was an empty metal cage.

"Wait, where's the cargo?" A large guard asked. The others don't answer immediately, instead pointing their spears towards the fog. The large guard then draws his sword, before looking towards a smaller guard. "You! Go warn the captain, we've got a dragon on the loose!" The small guard nodded as he ran off into the fog. But he did not get far, as he was whacked upon the back of his head before collapsing on the wooden the floor. The three other guards shifted their attention towards where the smaller guard had collapsed. Cautiously edging forward towards the downed guard. Once the three reach their comrade, they hear something land on the wooden floor with a deep thud. The guards immediately turn around, pointing their spears at the figure standing before them in the fog. The figure seemed to wear black armor, covering his body from head to toe. He seemed to be rather slim, almost lanky for a person of his size. Other than is strange armor, the figure seemed uninteresting. Then he pulled out a cylindrical object from his hip. With a click, a slotted blade extended from the hilt, before igniting itself into bright golden flames. The guards' eyes widen at the sight.

"A flaming sword?" One of the guards said, slowing backing away. The armored figure then placed a finger to where the lips would be. The big guard then growled.

"Come on lads. We can take him!" He barked. "He's one man, and a skinny man to boot! He can't take all three of us!" The big guard then charged, with his spear ready to skewer the figure in his place. But the figure swung his blade, knocking the spear off course and nearly out of the guard's hands. And before the guard could react, the figure cocked his right arm, and then punched the guard right at his face, knocking out in one blow. The remaining two guards stood back. The figure returned its gaze back at its enemy. One of the guards twitched his eye, before letting out a decent war cry. The two guards then charged at the figure, but this time, the figure did not stay where he was. He two charged at the two men. The figure parried all attacks from the guards before knocking out one of them with his left foot. Unfortunately for the guard, the left foot was in-fact a metal peg leg, which caused the guard being kicked further back than expected. The final guard began to shake, before backing away from the figure. The figure then raised his sword, ready for one last duel. But instead of repeating what his comrades had done, the final guard opted to just run in the opposite direction, screaming out from his lungs.

"What? Nonononono!" The figure yelled, before giving chase. The chase wasn't long, as the guard wasn't very fast. The figure then retracted his flaming blade, before throwing the hilt straight at the guard's head, finally knocking him out. The figure then sighed, "That could have gone a little better," he then said. He then looked up above one of the cages, motioning for something to come down. With that queue, a large black, winged creature jumped down to the deck, emitting a blue glow from its spine. The creature then used his tail to smack the back of the man's head. "Yeah, I know. This was supposed to be a stealth mission." The creature then groaned before nudging the man forward. "Hey, Toothless. What are you…?" The man asked. The creature, a legendary dragon known as the Night Fury, continued to move the armored man forward, as if trying to hide him from someone, most likely the other guards who had heard the previous racket.

"ATTACK!" A guard yelled. The man and his dragon immediately jolted, before dashing away from the horde of soldiers charging towards him. But luckily for him, the man wasn't alone. The guards were suddenly accosted by several sharp objects raining down on them, before a majority of them were rammed by a large mass of a dragon. The man looked back to see two other dragons hovering above him.

"Astrid! Fishlegs!" The man yelled. "You two literally couldn't have timed that better." Astrid and her dragon quickly dropped to the deck. She was a slender woman who wore blue armor, exactly like that of her dragon, the Deadly Nadder.

"Well, don't relax just yet, Hiccup." Astrid then stated, armed with her ax. "We've still got more trappers to deal with."

"Right." Hiccup said. He then looked up at Fishlegs, a large tub of a man riding an equally tubby dragon, the Gronckle. "Fishlegs go release the other dragons," Hiccup then said, "And maybe try and find the others and hope they haven't killed themselves."

"You got it, Hiccup," Fishlegs replied as he rubbed the side of his dragon's head. "Come on, Meatlug. Let's go meets some new friends." With that, the two of them flew off to the other ships, leaving Hiccup and Astrid to deal with the rest of the soldiers. A task that would have been infinitely harder had they lacked fire-breathing reptiles that have survived many battles. The soldiers attempted to get close to the Dragon Riders but they were only met with a hard strike from both the dragons and the rider's fending them off. Several soldiers were already down as the two riders and their dragons easily pushed them back. But before any further combat, an explosion rocked the vessel. When the rider's turned their attention towards the blast, they saw that one of the ships; free of any caged dragons was split in two, as a two-headed dragon soon made its way towards Hiccup and Astrid.

"Behold; the greatest terrors this side of the archipelago!" A male voice screeched.

"And behold the greatest terrors' Zippleback!" A female voice shrieked. As they did, their yellowish-green double-headed dragon fired a mixture of green gas and sparks, causing a massive explosion to rock the ship again. Hiccup and Astrid struggled to keep their footing.

"Tuffnut! Ruffnut!" Hiccup yelled, "Stop blowing holes in this ship!" The two riders of the duel-headed dragon immediately stopped in confusion.

"Excuse me Hiccup, but have you gone insane?!" The male rider exclaimed, with his eyes wide open with shock.

"Tell me something, Hiccup, how long have they been paying you to keep caging dragons?" The female rider then demanded. Hiccup simply groaned, pinching where the bridge of his nose would be behind the mask, with Toothless chuckling at the situation.

"No, Ruffnut. I'm not being paid by the trappers." Hiccup answered.

"Well if that's true, then why don't you want us to sink these suckers to the bottom of the cold depths of Aegir's oceans?" The Tuffnut then asked, with a disapproving look on his face.

"Because if you sink the ship with all the dragons still in their cages, they will drown and we will lose a massive batch of dragons." Hiccup responded.

"Why can't we just go save them while they're in the water?" Ruffnut then asked.

"Because if you do, than we run the risk of drowning both ourselves and our dragons." Astrid pointed out. "So tell me this, are you really willing to drown Barf and Belch and lose them forever?" The twin dragon riders said nothing; Tuffnut did attempt to open his mouth to say something, but was immediately cut off by Hiccup.

"Ahh ah ah! Save it until after we save these dragons." Hiccup said, he then called for Toothless circle him in a defensive position. Toothless then fired a blue blast at a group of soldiers charging their way towards them. As he did, Hiccup used his fire sword to cut through the strange locks of the cages. Once he got inside, he immediately cut the leather binds which the now unbound dragon took the queue to stretch its wings and fly away. Hiccup continued this routine with the other cages, unbinding the dragons inside with Toothless keeping unwanted soldier off his back.

Astrid was currently fending off a group of five soldiers with the aid of her Nadder. Astrid barely needed to swing her ax at her enemies as her dragon simply picked up the soldiers and threw them overboard. "Thanks, Stormfly." Stormfly let out a satisfied sound as it nudged the azure-clad rider. Astrid then unlocked the final cage on the ship, where Stormfly then used her tail, spikes popping out, cutting the leather binds. With that, the final dragon was freed, and Astrid signaled to the other riders. She then mounted Stormfly and flew off the navel vessel.

"That's our queue!" Hiccup yelled, he then mounted Toothless, sitting on-top the leather saddle made specifically for the Night Fury. "Let's head to the final ship!" Toothless then ran down the deck, before flapping his wings and taking to the air. "Has anyone seen Snotlout?" Hiccup then asked, looking around.

"You telling me it's hard to keep track of a muttonhead who sets himself on fire despite never fireproofing his butt?" Tuffnut then asked.

"Thanks for your ever so insightful comment, Tuffnut." Hiccup responded.

"You're welcome; I've got plenty more to give, no extra charge." Tuffnut replied. Hiccup promptly ignored Tuffnut, before calling out for,

"Fishlegs! You up?"

"Yep! I'm still here." Fishlegs responded.

"Good, anything on the last ship?" Hiccup then asked.

"Not much, other than the fact that the ship lacks any dragon cages from what I've seen." Fishlegs responded. Hiccup was not expecting this information.

"Wait, that doesn't make sense," Hiccup then stated, "The Trappers obviously had a quota to fill, why send out an empty ship? That would just be dead weight."

"Oh, my poor Hiccup, you focus way too much on the 'reasons' and the 'why' of the situation," Tuffnut then replied.

"We, on the other hand, prefer to simply take action and blow them up to kingdom come!" Ruffnut said, before immediately flying towards the final ship.

"Hey, wait guys!" Hiccup then yelled, as he followed the twins. Luckily for Hiccup, Toothless's speed was far faster than the Zippleback, which meant that the duo managed to catch up to and cut off the twins. Though that did also mean that the Zippleback had nearly collided with the Night Fury. "Can you too just wait for one minute?" Hiccup than asked. The twins gave each other a look of confusion, before giving Hiccup a look of annoyance.

"We'll be counting down." Tuffnut then said.

"Okay, listen." Hiccup then started, "If a Trapper ship has no cages, don't you think there's a big chance that they're trying to hide something from us?"

"I don't know, but if they are hiding something then Snotlout will probably find out what it is."

"Wait, Snotlout?" Hiccup then asked.

"Huh, so you saw where that muttonhead went?" Tuffnut casually asked.

"You mean to tell me that you knew where Snotlout was and you didn't think to tell us anything?" Astrid then asked.

"Well, honestly Astrid, these two don't really think about anything, so…" Fishlegs then started, but when given an irritated glare from the blonde rider, he promptly kept his mouth shut.

"If Snotlout's on that ship and if he's in trouble, then we need to get him out of there." Hiccup then stated. He then turned to face Astrid and Fishlegs. "You two stay back and watch our backs." Hiccup then shifted his attention towards the twins. "You guys are coming with me."

"Uh, Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

"I know, Astrid." Hiccup responded, before finally shifting his attention towards the final ship, still close by. "Tuff, Ruff, let's go! And try not to sink the ship with us still onboard." Hiccup then zoomed at high speeds towards the Trapper ship, with the twins following closely.

* * *

Getting on the final Trapper vessel was a lot less harder than getting on the other two ships, mostly due to the fact that the top deck was empty.

"This doesn't make much sense." Hiccup said. "Where's the patrol?"

"Shouldn't that be a good thing? Less trouble for us, am I right, sis?" Tuffnut then stated.

"I don't think so." Hiccup replied. He then turned back to face the twins, "You two stay up here. I'll look for Snotlout down on the lower decks."

"How do you know Snotlout's in the lower decks?" Ruffnut then asked.

"I don't, but since he's not flying above us, and is not on the top deck, I'll bet that he and Hookfang are below us." Before the twins could say anything, both Hiccup and Toothless rushed towards the stairs to the lower decks.

The first lower deck was completely empty. No dragon cages and soldiers. But the area wasn't clean. As Hiccup ignited his blade he could see that the floor of the deck was riddled with splintered wood and what appeared to be small puncture holes on the walls. Both rider and dragon were on edge. But he had to find Snotlout.

"Snotlout!" Hiccup then yelled. His voice echoed down the chamber. The flames from his blade only illuminated a short distance around him and Toothless. "Hookfang!" Hiccup yelled again. The rider then looked back at Toothless, who started glaring his teeth, letting out a low, aggressive growl as his pupils narrowed from their rectangular shape to slits. Hiccup then looked forward again. "Hold steady, Toothless." Hiccup ordered, as both took a defensive stance. Then the sound the something clanging could be heard from below. Hiccup held steady, as the inside of Toothless's mouth began to glow blue.

"Make the shot count, Toothless." Hiccup then stated. The clanging and banging grew closer and closer. Toothless opened his mouth, as he aimed his plasma blast at whatever was making the noise.

"Hiccup! Is that you?" A voice then yelled, or more squealed. Hiccup relaxed as Toothless stopped growling, dousing the plasma in the mouth.

"Snotlout, what were you doing?" Hiccup then yelled. "You almost made Toothless plasma blast you."

"First of all, that's cruel." Snotlout responded. "And secondly, can you get me out of here?!" Snotlout's voice was filled with fear and desperation, something that Hiccup quickly caught on to.

"Snotlout, what happened?" Hiccup then asked, cautiously moving towards the stairs to the second lower deck. Toothless's eyes narrowed once more, as he prepared his plasma blast in his mouth.

"I don't know!" Snotlout then yelled. "Hookfang and I walking around the ship, and once we got down here, something just jumped out and knocked Hookfang out!" Hiccup was now confused, but that confusion was overshadowed by an uneasiness that caused the rider to shiver lightly.

"Is Hookfang still out?" Hiccup then asked.

"No, he's back up. But he hasn't made a single noise since getting up!" Snotlout yelled. Now this was getting strange. Hiccup always knew Nightmares to be proud dragons, often flaunting their strength with intimidation and boastful roars, and Hookfang was no exception. Sure, there were dragons that were bigger, stronger and more dangerous than the Nightmare, it still didn't change the fact that they were a species with a lot of pride to spare and rarely become silent with fear. Whatever had terrified Hookfang, Hiccup had hoped he would be lucky enough to avoid for now.

"Okay, just stay there. We're on our way." Hiccup then said. He then gestured for Toothless to stay behind him, as he slowly made his way towards the stairs. Then, Snotlout let out a terrified and frantic scream. "Snotlout!" Hiccup yelled, as both he and Toothless bolted towards the stairs. But before the two could reach their destination, a large, black and red blur flew up from the opening, crashing through both the stairs and the ceiling of the deck. Wooden splinters and sharp planks flew everywhere. Luckily for Hiccup, Toothless was fast enough for him to cover his rider with his wings, protecting Hiccup as the splinters and shards harmlessly bounced off the dragon's wings. Once the coast was clear, Toothless unveiled his wings.

"Thanks bud." Hiccup then said. He then ran towards the newly formed hole, trying to catch a glimpse of Snotlout and Hookfang. He didn't have to wait long, as Hookfang shoot out of the hole, with Snotlout clinging tightly to the dragon's snout. Hiccup took in a deep sigh as he mounted Toothless. The two then fly through the hole out of the ship where they notice Hookfang finally calming down, though he still kept Snotlout dangling with his legs flailing about. Relief came over Hiccup and Toothless as they saw that the Nightmare had no serious injuries on him. Not to mention, they did Snotlout desperately hanging from the red dragon to be pretty humorous.

"Okay, you two seem fine." Hiccup then stated.

"Do I look fine?!" Snotlout hollered, as Hookfang chuckled at his rider's peril. But the Nightmare had his fill, as promptly flung Snotlout to the saddle on his back. Snotlout then glared at the dragon. Hiccup let out a light chuckle as he turned to see the sun rise out of the horizon.

"Okay, since you're safe, let's find the twins and meet up with the rest." Hiccup then said.

"You do that." Snotlout spat out, "In the meantime, I'll look for Astrid and Fishface." Wasting no time, Snotlout flew at a random direction, with no regards to the fact that he really had no idea where the two riders actually were. Thankfully for Hiccup, Hookfang managed to realize this and went straight back to Toothless. Snotlout said nothing as he spitefully avoided eye contact with Hiccup.

"Alright Toothless, let's go." Hiccup then ordered. Toothless then bolted off in one direction, with Hookfang following closely. But during this minor banter, the thought of the red and black blur and what it was doing on the Trapper ship remained in the back of his mind, like a string constantly pulling him back.


	2. A Terrible First Impression

Hiccup, Snotlout, and the Twins finally managed to reach the where Astrid and Fishlegs were. Astrid let out a sigh of relief as she made out the silhouette of Toothless with Hiccup atop him.

"You took your sweet time." Astrid said, smiling at Hiccup.

"Yeah, well, I don't really have an excuse this time." Hiccup replied, with a smile of his own. But the two riders quickly shifted from casual, to serious. "Fishlegs, was that all the ships?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, that should be all of them, but we should probably book it back to Berk." Fishlegs responded. "I think it'll be a bad idea to stay here any longer. We don't know if more Trapper ships will come around."

"I agree." Hiccup responded. He then turned to face the rest of the riders. "Alright gang, let's find the dragons, and head back home." The riders all cheered as they flew off with the sun behind them.

* * *

It didn't take long for the riders to locate the newly-freed dragons, as they were aimlessly wandering around small rock formations. Despite the group being comprised of a diverse range of species, they tended to each other, with some of the tougher looking dragons acting as sentries. The sentries themselves were comprised of Raincutters, Nightmares, Rumblehorns, Snifflehunches, and Scauldrons.

"Hiccup, the dragons have become a pack." Fishlegs then said.

"It definitely looks like it." Hiccup replied. "It's the same type of pack too."

"Yeah," Fishlegs responded. "I think we should be careful getting these dragons to move with us."

"Wait, didn't we save them?" Tuffnut then asked.

"Yeah, we did." Ruffnut replied, "Shouldn't they be fine with us around?"

"Don't you two remember what happened that last time you tried to be around a pack like this?" Astrid then asked.

"You mean the time when Ruffnut and I were almost cooked to our bones by that pack of Nadders, Gronckles, and Timberjacks?" Tuffnut asked.

"Yes." Astrid responded. "So this time, we're going in carefully."

"Astrid's right." Hiccup then stated. "I'll go in first." Hiccup then looked down at Toothless, waiting to see his reaction. With a confident nod from the Night Fury, the duo then flies down towards the pack. Once the two hit the ground, Hiccup dismounts before cautiously approaching the dragon sentries with his hand up. The dragons took quick notice of the approaching human, immediately growling through their glaring teeth. Hiccup stops, gesturing that he will approach more slowly.

"It's okay." Hiccup then stated. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He then raised his hand again, reaching out towards the dragons. Some of the sentries seem to relax, but still holding their position. But there was a green Nightmare that wouldn't relax, continuing to glare its teeth. It looked as if it was the leader of the pack, and it was taking its role very seriously. This did not deter Hiccup, as he continued making his way forward. Then, the Nightmare took a step forward. Toothless was now growing more cautious. He didn't glare his teeth, but he was quick to take a defensive stance. Hiccup was quick to notice this, and silently ordered Toothless to stand back. The Nightmare was now confused. He finally stopped growling as he now gave Hiccup a look of curiosity. Hiccup smiled at his progress as he continued moving forward, with his hand held forward. When Hiccup finally made his way towards the green dragon, he stopped, simply keeping his hand forward. He then closed his eyes. The Nightmare's pupils were now fully dilated as the dragon seemed to fully calm down. Hiccup still had his hand up towards the dragon's snout, which the Nightmare promptly sniffed. But then, the dragon pressed its snout onto Hiccup's hand. The rider smiled as he knew he had finally managed to reach and catch the dragon's trust. Toothless relaxed as he trudged towards Hiccup.

"Looks like Berk's got more residents incoming." Hiccup then told Toothless. The Night Fury let out a huff, but Hiccup knew that Toothless meant nothing bad. He then gave the dragon a nod of approval. Toothless then let out a majestic blue glow, something that the pack took a quick moment to realize what it meant. With no hesitation, the entire pack then bowed their heads. Toothless then let out a mighty roar. The pack raised their heads again as they spread their wings and took to the skies. Hiccup then mounted Toothless again as they followed the pack to meet up with the rest of the riders. Astrid shot Hiccup a look that could be seen as one of irritation, Fishlegs was too busy focusing on the dragon pack, and Snotlout was too busy trying to catch his nerves.

"Why didn't you just let Toothless be the Alpha and save yourself the trouble?" Tuffnut then asked.

"We need these dragons to not hate humans." Hiccup answered, "If I leave it all to Toothless, there might be a chance that these dragons will continue to avoid humans." Hiccup then realized how his answer might sound to the Night Fury. "Uh, no offense, Toothless." Toothless then let out a light but noticeable chuckle. The other riders laughed as well, before preparing for the flight back home.

* * *

This is Berk. A small island jutting out of the ocean with mountains as sharp as spear tips, inhabited by Vikings in a small village. Merely 6 years ago, the small village could never grow and expand, as the Vikings constantly had to rebuild the houses. Now, the village was prospering, with tall homes for the dragons to sleep in as well as newly created caves. The new arrivals were taken aback and somewhat overwhelmed at the large numbers of the dragon residents. Hiccup and the riders then lead the new dragons towards a clearing at the center of the village. Hiccup always had a giddy feeling whenever introducing the new dragons to their new life, free of cages and whips. Once the large group of dragons touched the soft ground, Vikings quickly moved towards the new arrivals with food and gifts. Some of the new arrivals were hesitant to immediately trust these humans, but after taking a bite off of some of the offerings, they were quick to drop their qualms, allowing the Vikings to cuddle their snouts.

"Well, looks like we've got another success under our belts." Hiccup proudly stated.

"Yeah, it's almost like having epic, fire-breathing beasts of action are a huge advantage." Tuffnut yelled, which Hiccup promptly ignored.

"Well, regardless of our advantages, I'd say that was actually one of our better raids." Astrid then stated. "But let's not celebrate just yet."

"Astrid might be right, guys." Fishlegs said, "These dragon trappers are getting closer by the day."

"So what?" Snotlout then barked. "You saw how I took down those trappers." The twins then giggled.

"Yeah, especially with how you clung to Hookfang, screaming and crying like a baby." Ruffnut remarked.

"Shut up! I wasn't screaming!" Snotlout yelled. Hiccup let out a chuckle, something Snotlout managed to catch. What? WHAT!?" Snotlout bellowed, before stomping towards Hookfang, who was also chuckling. "NO! You hold your laughter, _Hooky_!"

"Alright. Everyone's dismissed for the day." Hiccup then said. "Basically, that means you can all go out and do whatever you want for the day." The twins had a devilish smirk on their faces, before mounting Barf and Belch and flying off to who knows where, and Snotlout had already taken off with Hookfang a short while ago. Fishlegs and Astrid were about to leave, but Hiccup was quick to reach them. "Uh, wait, can I talk to you two for a moment?" Hiccup then asked.

"Huh, what seems to be the problem?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well, I think we should have this conversation in private."

* * *

The orange glow of the fireplace still left most of the chieftain's house dark, with small beams of light cutting through from the outside. Fishlegs and Astrid stood around, looking at some old trinkets from days past. A pair of cloth wings, several spare amber goggles, and a crude looking sword decorated the walls, with several books and sketches strewn across the floor.

"Heh, this stuff certainly brings back some memories." Fishlegs then said, picking up one of the amber goggles.

"Yeah, they definitely do." Astrid said as she stared at the cloth wings. Then, the thud of footsteps on wooden floors interrupted their trip down memory lane.

"Sorry about making you guys wait." Hiccup sheepishly said. "Couldn't find the right book." Fishlegs and Astrid noticed Hiccup carrying a small wooden crate with an array of tools inside.

"Hiccup, what's with the box?" Astrid then asked.

"Well, if I'm completely honest, I'm not entirely sure." Hiccup answered. He then plopped the crate onto the floor, having to check and make sure none of the tools jumped out. Hiccup them pulled a folded map and a crude wooden pencil out of the crate. Once he opened up the map, Hiccup immediately started to draw lines and mark points on specific islands and landmasses.

"Hiccup, if I had to take a guess, you trying to find something." Fishlegs then said.

"Uh-huh." Hiccup responded.

"Well then might I ask, what exactly are you looking for?"

Well, I'm not sure _what_ I'm looking for, so I figured I'd try and find where it might've gone to." Hiccup answered.

"Wait, are you talking about a dragon?" Astrid asked.

"Maybe, I don't know." Hiccup answered. "It was too fast for me to get a good look."

"Fast?" Fishlegs asked.

"How fast are we talking?" Astrid inquired.

"I'm not sure about a top speed, but at a burst, maybe faster than Toothless or Stormfly." Hiccup responded.

"Well, at least that narrows our search down to at least the Strike Class." Fishlegs stated. Hiccup continued to mark down points on more islands before looking back up.

"Okay, so the Trapper ships were east of Berk, but they weren't heading west." The three Vikings gave each other a curious look.

'So the Trapper ships were not heading towards us." Astrid then said. "And the third ship was basically empty."

"Almost empty." Hiccup then said. "Remember when I went to get Snotlout?" Astrid and Fishlegs nodded in response. "While I was searching, Snotlout was screaming about something in the dark."

"Well, sometimes, Snotlout can be scared pretty easily if you know what you're doing." Astrid then added.

"Right, but Snotlout wasn't the only that was scared. He said that Hookfang was shaking."

"Hookfang?"

"Yes, but that's not the most interesting part." Hiccup then said. "As I got closer, Toothless got tense, and when he got closer, whatever was with Snotlout crashed through the decks and out into the open."

"Crashing through Trapper ships, that's definitely impressive for a Strike Class dragon." Fishlegs then stated.

"Definitely." Hiccup replied. "And another thing, the lower decks had signs of some sort of attack or battle. But there were no Trappers, at all. Not even any weapons." Fishlegs was now feeling some distress while Astrid looked bemused.

"You don't think…?" Astrid started.

"Maybe." Hiccup replied. Fishlegs began letting out some whimpers.

"And you're telling me that this dragon is out there?" Fishlegs inquired, slowly backing away as he did.

"Yes." Hiccup answered. Fishlegs let out a loud gasp, before beginning to pace around the room. Astrid and Hiccup shared a look of unease.

"And with a dragon this powerful and that fast,"

"It'll cause a lot of trouble all around the archipelago. I know."

"So, what's the plan?" Astrid then asks.

"Well, with Stormfly, we'll try and find something, like a scale or a tooth, and hopefully track the dragon down."

"Alright, where's our first location?"

* * *

The first three islands weren't very useful in terms of useful information. There were clues, mostly the deforestation of the islands, but the only distinct feature of the destruction was the fact that the trees looked both charred and melted. The islands were also devoid of life, and the ground was littered with holes, which Fishlegs noted looked as if they were dug up frantically.

"Frantically?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, it looks like whatever we're tracking, is looking for food." Fishlegs answered.

"And it looks like it's getting hungrier." Astrid then stated. She then guided the two other Vikings towards a spot on the ground that didn't look charred or melted. Hiccup moved to get a closer look, with Fishlegs whimpering closely behind. Upon closer inspection, Hiccup could see teeth marks on trees with gnawed off edges. The teeth marks definitely came from the mouth of a carnivore, small and jagged, not too dissimilar to Stormfly's teeth. A dragon with teeth like that would usually prefer softer meals, but desperation had obviously pushed their objective to consume anything that caught its eyes. And a creature like that can cause a lot of problems.

"Pack up, gang." Hiccup then said. "We're heading out." He then mounted Toothless, just as the other two mounted their dragons.

"Where's our next stop?" Astrid then asked.

"The island to our north," Hiccup replied, "After that, we'll head back to Berk to resupply." The Viking and the Night Fury then returned to the air with his friends behind him. The flight was short and quick, as the airborne reptiles flapped their wings. Soon, the three Vikings had their destination in their sights. This island was noticeably bigger than the previous three, with white cliffs separating the beaches from the lush green of the forest.

"Huh, this island's still intact." Hiccup said.

"You think we beat our hungry friend to this place?" Astrid then asked.

"Well let's find out." Hiccup replied. The three Vikings then made their descent towards the lush forest. The lack of an opening in the forest meant that Toothless had to use his plasma blast to clear away some of the trees. The new clearing was small, but it was still spacious enough for Stormfly to go through. Once on the ground, the Vikings dismounted their dragons and proceed on foot. Their eyes darted around, looking for anything peculiar, but outside of the newly blasted opening, everything seemed normal. The trees looked healthy and the forest was chock-full of lively sounds.

"I think we're first." Fishlegs then stated. Hiccup said nothing, still moving deeper into the forest, keeping his eyes peeled.

"We should probably prepare for our friend's arrival." Astrid then said. Hiccup still said nothing. Toothless stuck closely to the Viking's side, sniffing the air for any sign of trouble. So far, nothing seems wrong.

"Wait, what if we're on the wrong island?" Hiccup then asked.

"I doubt it." Fishlegs then stated, "A hungry dragon isn't going to go far to find food, and with how close the proximity is, our friend is not going to skip this one."

"Well then, if that's the case, we better start preparing." Hiccup then ordered. But immediately after that, the Vikings heard a low growl from their dragons.

"Meatlug, what's wrong?" Fishlegs then asked, cuddling the Gronckle as he began to shiver. Stormfly unveiled her tail spikes, letting out a sharp click.

"Hiccup, you think…?" Astrid asked.

"It's here." Hiccup responded. "Everyone, hide, QUICK!" The Vikings and the dragons ran off in different directions. But there was a serious lack of viable options to use, as everyone hid behind bushes, laying low and trying to keep their breath in check. Fishlegs began to mumble and whimper and he clutched securely onto Meatlug. Astrid found herself in a position that left her unable to draw her axe. Hiccup managed to have his blade in hand, though he had kept it retracted. The dragons emitted low growls, as they waited for something to happen. They didn't have to wait for long.

The frantic flapping of large wings blew a gust of air towards the ground, before the winged creature crashed through the trees, uprooting some of the trees before skidding on the ground. Fishlegs, Astrid, and Hiccup had failed to see what exactly it was or where it landed. But the dragons caught every detail.

"Toothless?" Hiccup whispered. The Night Fury made no noise, only aiming his eyes right towards where the winged creature is. Hiccup then adjusted his position to face where Toothless was eyeing down. And then he saw it. It was definitely a dragon; its back was adorned with a row of armored plates running along where its spine would be. It had four legs but in the place of front legs, dragon possessed jagged, razor-sharp pincers. The tail was long, and looked as if it could extend, and at the end was a white stinger, most likely venomous. Hiccup nudged himself forward, hoping to get a closer look; he couldn't see the dragon's face, obstructed by the backplates. The dragon didn't turn back, but it did raise its snout to sniff the air where Hiccup could see the dragon's crazed yellow eyes, no doubt looking for food. Hiccup's heartbeat began to quicken, he wasn't sure if he was upwind of the dragon as his hiding spot didn't allow for much of a breeze to go through. But even with his realization, Hiccup and Toothless remained as silent as possible, and continued to observe. The red and black dragon then lowered its snout, as it slowly made its way towards another patch of bushes. Hiccup let out a silent sigh of relief; he was safe for now, though he still worried about Astrid and Fishlegs. Hiccup's thoughts were then interrupted, as he then heard several clicks and moans from the red and black dragon. Hiccup wondered what the sounds were supposed to indicate, but the dragon then stopped, before moving around the bush patch. Hiccup managed to get a good profile view of the dragon's head, but something else caught the Viking's attention. On the lower jaw, long, sharp tusks slowly slid out as the dragon's mouth began to slobber.

"He's definitely hungry." Hiccup whispered. Then, the dragon became silent. It lifted its tail up, readying the white stinger as it produced a rattling noise. Hiccup and Toothless look on intensely, as the dragon became still, as if it had petrified itself. Then, the duo heard rustling behind the bushes, and the red and black dragon shifted its position ever so slightly, like it was tightening its muscles. Finally, the tail shot forward, thrusting the white stinger onto whatever was behind the bush. Something squealed as it desperately attempted to scuttle away. The red and black dragon pulled its tail back, before quickly thrusting it back again. The squealing didn't stop, but it grew weaker and softer. Then the dragon pounced, and the squealing stopped, but not before Hiccup and Toothless heard the snap of powerful jaws. It wasn't long before the dragon reappeared from the bush with a boar grasped tightly in its jaws. The dragon's eyes then darted left and right, before trudging forward with its prey. It then unfolded its wings and attempted to take off, having to focus harder to keep its prey in its mouth. The sound of its wings began to fade, and soon, all was quiet. Hiccup and Toothless looked around with cautious gazes, before deciding that it was safe to stand back up.

Now back on their feet, the duo signal for the others to stand. But Hiccup knew that there would be no time for discussions. It seems that the Dragon Riders have a new mission now.


	3. A Day in the Life of a Queen

A choice rattled around Hiccup's mind after his near encounter with the dragon. On one hand, should he choose to chase the dragon right away, it could mean a faster capture of the animal. On the other hand, regrouping with the other riders back at Berk and formulating a plan to capture the dragon could ensure a more effective capture. Hiccup let out a frustrated groan, something that Toothless caught on to, as he purred softly to the young Viking. Hiccup sighed as he did what he could to assure the Night Fury that he was fine.

"So what now?" Astrid then asked. Hiccup turned around, but he did not face Astrid at the moment as he was without an answer.

"Hiccup, are you alright?" Fishlegs then worriedly asks. Hiccup did not respond. Funny, comparing the two choices in his head, the option to regroup seemed like a much more logical of the two. But while one half of his mind is calmly advising for him to have help from the rest of the riders, the other half is bellowing to track down and catch the dragon before it can cause any wanton havoc. And a bellow is much harder to subdue, and even harder to ignore. Hiccup let out a long sigh; he had come to an answer, though he questioned how smart this option was. Granted, Vikings aren't always known for choosing the logical option, and even though Hiccup was not much of a_ "Guts and Glory"_ type Viking, it was hard to suppress what flows within his veins. Hiccup finally turned to face Astrid and Fishlegs.

"So here's the plan."

* * *

"I'm sorry, can you run that by me again?" Fishlegs then asked. Hiccup had expected this response to his plan, but he was prepared to make his argument.

"So if what I heard was right, what you're telling me is that you want me, Stormfly, Fishlegs and Meatlug to ride back to Berk while you and Toothless ride off to find this dragon all by yourself?" Astrid asked, her expression clearly showing her bemusement.

"Yeah, you heard right." Hiccup answered sheepishly. He knew all too well how his plan sounded out loud.

"What!" Fishlegs yelped, "Why would you do that, Hiccup?"

"Yeah, even with your statement of being the one with the best look at the dragon, that still doesn't mean much considering our views were obscured by bushes." Astrid then stated. "We still don't know what this new dragon's capable of."

"She's right, Hiccup." Fishlegs jumped in. "We are severely ill-equipped to even look at this dragon's general direction."

"I hear what you guys are saying, and if I'm completely honest, you guys are making some excellent points." Hiccup then responded. "I get it, go back to Berk, call up the other riders and come up with an actual plan. Definitely some sound logic." Hiccup then took in a deep breath. "But I can't shake this part of me that wants to follow this dragon while we're still nearby, and I really want to know more about this new species." Hiccup then sighed again as he placed his head in his hand. "Look, I know what I'm proposing is wild, senseless, boneheaded even. But I can't ignore the possibility of our new friend slipping away while we come up with a plan."

"But Hiccup, you aren't even wearing your armor." Astrid noted.

"I know, and in hindsight, I really should've. But I promise that I'll be careful." Hiccup answered. Astrid sighed in response.

"Is that the best you can do right now? A silly promise?" Hiccup chuckled.

"Well, I don't want to jinx myself at the moment, but as of now, yes. That is what I can do now." Hiccup answered. Astrid let out a chuckle of her own.

"Alright, well promise me this." Astrid then places a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "If you do manage to find it, don't engage it. Stay out of its range. Once we finish gathering the riders, I'll have Stormfly track you and Toothless." Hiccup then took Astrid's hand and held it tight.

"You got it." Hiccup firmly answered. He then turned to Toothless who, as if on cue, leaped in front of Hiccup, ready to take flight. "Ready as always, bud." Hiccup then promptly mounted the Night Fury, with a metallic clink signaling the use of Toothless's tail controls. The Night Fury then spread his wings as he jumped up, soaring above the tree line and into the blue of the sky. Now he was going to have to learn how to track.

* * *

The air of Arendelle was fresh, calm, and cool. No one would expect this kingdom to have suffered a disaster the prior year, but since then, Arendelle has done nothing but prosper under the reign of Queen Elsa. A woman of both beauty and kindness, she bore platinum blonde hair tied into a braid, had striking blue eyes and had a good and healthy figure. But none of Arendelle cited the queen's beauty as her most striking aspect. That would go to her mystical gift of control over the element of ice. Once this was a power feared by all who knew of the queen's powers, and with just cause. The disaster Arendelle faced was the fault of the queen's unstable control, but now, with her powers under proper control, the queen's ability has become just another quirk of the royal family, despite the queen being the only one with any powers. These were some of the thoughts running through the queen's mind, as she looked outward towards the mountains and fjord. Until she was given a light tap on her shoulder. Surprised, the queen let out a small yelp, as well as forming shards of ice on the balcony railing from her fingers. As she calmed herself, the queen turned around to notice a member of the castle guard.

"Apologies, your Highness." The young guard said. The queen let out a soft sigh, as she returned to a more proper posture while clearing her throat, signaling for the guard to continue. "I am here to report that everything is in order." The guard stated. The queen simply nodded as she dismissed the guard away, but internally, she chuckled at the repetitive nature of the guard's report. True, it was their duty to protect the queen and her family, but she felt that she didn't need to be reminded about how well off Arendelle was. But she wouldn't have it any other way. After that, the queen decided that she had enough of the view, and promptly walked back inside the castle. Thankfully, no parties were underway, so moving around the castle wasn't as tedious as it could've been. There is only so much one can handle, even if they are a queen. On her way to the queen's bedroom, she greeted some of her servants and guards with a smile, as she usually did. Once Elsa arrived at her room, she dropped down to her bed, letting out a sigh as she enjoyed the comforting softness of her massive bed. Today was one of those rare days where Elsa didn't need to do much as most of her paperwork. Dealing with treaties for a random neighboring kingdom that she had no real intention of remembering the names of was not only draining for her, it also took away the time Elsa could be using to be with Anna.

The queen let out another sigh at her family situation. Elsa was fully aware of Anna fully forgiving her for all the years wasted behind doors locked shut by fear, but that was something that eat away at Elsa's mind and heart. These thoughts placed the queen is a state of heaviness, which coupled with the softness and soothing scent of her bed and Elsa found it difficult to keep her eyes open. And eventually, she found it pointless to resist and she closed her eyes and before long, Elsa was snoring.

* * *

Elsa woke up frantically to three knocks on her door. Once she got up from her bed, she realized that not only was her hair in complete frazzles, but the sun was setting outside her window, and she had been drooling profusely.

"Elsa?" A young woman's voice called out. A voice that Elsa recognized right away.

"Yes, Anna?" Elsa then asked, frantically cleaning away the drool and doing what she could to fix her jumbled hair.

"Are you alright, Elsa?" Anna asked, "We've been looking for you." Elsa dashed towards the door, nearly tripping over her own feet. She finally reaches the door and opens it to Anna and a young, rugged-looking man, both of which looked at Elsa with surprise in their eyes.

"Hi, Anna." Elsa greeted with quick breathes in-between the words, "Hello, Kristoff." Anna, a young woman with rosy cheeks and strawberry-blonde hair, could barely hold back her laughter at the sight of her sister, while Kristoff, a man of broad shoulders, a muscular build, and light blonde hair, did what he could to avoid doing the same.

"Elsa, what happened?" Anna asked, with little snickers and snorts in-between her words. With that, Elsa tried again to straighten, or at least lessen the extremes of her hair.

"Oh, I, um…" Elsa stuttered as she continued her fixing her hair. "I, uh, I took a nap." Elsa answered. Anna let out a small chuckle.

"Well, I can see that." Anna said, "But you didn't forget about tonight, right?" For a moment, Elsa's mind went into a panic. She did remember that she had to do something, but for some reason, nothing that came to mind felt right.

"Uh, yeah, I remember, we were…" Elsa started, stuttering right away. Anna let out another chuckle, as she placed a hand on her sister's arm.

"Hey, don't feel bad if you forgot." Anna then said, "I know how busy you are." Elsa then let out a defeated sigh, but there was a sense of relief.

"So, uhm, what are we doing tonight, Anna?" Elsa then asked, still feeling some minor embarrassment.

"Charades." Anna answered.

"Oh, that's right." Elsa muttered quickly. "Well, what are we waiting for? Come on, come on, come on."

"Oh, okay." Anna said, "Wait, right now? It's still sunset."

"Well, that means more time for charades, wouldn't you agree?" Elsa then stated.

"Uh, are you okay, Elsa?" Kristoff then asked.

"Yes," Elsa swiftly answered, before motioning for Kristoff to follow. "You're coming with us, right?"

"Uh, of course." Kristoff answered, before moving along.

"Elsa, calm down." Anna then said. "There's no need to rush."

"Oh, don't worry, we're not rushing." Elsa replied. "We're just going forward right now."

"Elsa, that is what some people, including me, would define as _**rushing**_." Anna stated. Elsa ignored her sister's statement as she decided to glance back at her room, wondering if there was anything she should bring. And for a moment, her gaze passed by her window. But when she did, she could swear she saw something small, or far, and dark passing by. But she only caught a minor glimpse, and now she was staring. Something that both Anna and Kristoff caught onto.

"Elsa?" Anna called out. Elsa stayed silent, as she moved closer to the window. Not much was hidden from the view, but the sun sinking below the horizon; it makes a considerable difference on visibility.

"Queen Elsa?" Kristoff asked, "Is everything alright?" Elsa finally turned around, with an expression of confusion and curiosity.

"Y-yes. Everything's fine." Elsa answered. "Alright, you guys go on ahead." Elsa then paused for a moment, "Um, which room are we using?"

"The, uh, usual room." Anna answered. "Elsa, if something's wrong, you can tell me."

"No, nothing's wrong, I swear." Elsa responded. "Don't worry, I'll find you guys. I just need to get some things ready first. I mean, I did just wake up."

"Ah, okay." Anna replied. She then turned to Kristoff. "Come to think of it, I think we've got stuff to prepare as well, so this is perfect." For a moment, Kristoff was confused, but one look from Anna told him everything.

"Uh, yeah, stuff." Kristoff then stated. Elsa already knew that wasn't true. Something that Anna caught on to as well.

"Hey, Elsa, don't beat yourself up over this." Anna then said. "It's normal to be late." Elsa's face began feeling a tad bit too warm for her comfort.

"Actually, I thing I'm-" Elsa started, but was immediately halted by Anna.

"No, no, no. Just get yourself ready." Anna then said. "Plus, it's still sunset." After that, Anna and Kristoff made their way down the hall. But Anna turned around, giving Elsa a sweet smile. "And wear something comfortable." She called out. Elsa gave her sister a smile of her own.

"I will." Elsa responded. Elsa then closed the doors, and sat on her bed, with her face red with embarrassment. She tried not to dawdle for too long, but two thoughts in her head gave her some delay. Firstly, her debacle of a conversation was on the verge of bringing up bad memories, which Elsa thankfully managed to push down, today was not a good day to deal with them. And secondly, what was that dark thing in the sky? Was it even real? And if it was, what does that mean for Arendelle? Well, those thoughts didn't matter, what did matter was getting ready for charades. Elsa went into her dressing chamber, just as another dark thing fell through the sky, before landing at the nearby forest.


	4. The Queen Gets a Break

"Hold on, Toothless!" Hiccup yelled. The duo was falling down, and they were falling fast. Hiccup looked back; Toothless's tail was completely gone. The only remnant that remained was the smoke from the flame that destroyed it. Toothless tried his best to control his descent, but both he and Hiccup knew that without the tailfin, they were only delaying the inevitable. "Okay, Toothless. Let's head for that forest." Toothless silently agreed. The Night Fury did his best, but the speed of his descent and the hectic path of the fall, not much could be done.

"Brace yourself!" Hiccup yelled, only mere seconds before the two crashed into multiple large trees. Fortunately for Hiccup, Toothless managed to take the brunt of the impact while having Hiccup wrapped under his wings. The duo finally made contact with the ground, with neither really wanting to move a single muscle. But now was not the time for rest. Toothless unwrapped his wings, letting Hiccup out. Hiccup then wasted no time surveying his surroundings. He then looked back at his friend, who looked sore from the impact.

"Toothless!" Hiccup exclaimed. He then dashed for his friend, quickly examining the Night Fury for any serious injuries. Nothing seemed visible wrong, but Hiccup knew all too well about the severity of internal injuries. Hiccup looked up, frantically searching for something in the air. "Okay, Toothless. We have to go." Hiccup then said. Toothless managed to stand up, barely. Hiccup could see Toothless's legs tremble under the strain of his own weight. Hiccup would have to come up with a new course of action. The young Viking looked around at the nearby trees, quickly finding a tree with sufficient cover. Hiccup then gave Toothless one more look. When Toothless looked up to see Hiccup, the Viking then glanced at the tree. Toothless understood immediately, as he began to crawl towards it, with Hiccup using all his strength to push his friend. Eventfully, Hiccup and Toothless managed to make the short distance. Toothless then laid low on his belly, as Hiccup then dashed out, doing his best to stay within cover. Hiccup then unsheathed a small knife to cut the small branches. It wasn't easy, the knife Hiccup had was meant to whittle away at his pencil once it got dull, and he couldn't use his flaming sword for a multitude of reasons. The process was arduous, as Hiccup had to cut down multiple small branches as well as pick up multiple twigs and leaves. Once Hiccup felt like he had enough, he began to build up some shelter. Throughout the entire process, Hiccup continually looked up into the sky. By now, night had completely overtaken the sky, which made trying to spot a fast dragon, that was mostly black as well, somewhat difficult. But finally, Hiccup finishes creating the shelter.

"Okay, Toothless. I think we'll just stay here until morning." Hiccup then stated. Toothless let out a light moan, looking at Hiccup with concerned eyes. "Hey, don't worry Toothless, something tells me that our new dragon isn't going to bother us anytime soon." Hiccup said. But Toothless didn't change his expression. "Hey, I don't like this situation any more than you do, but we're in no condition to take that dragon head-on. You saw what it did to your tail." Toothless groaned at the reminder. "So for now, all we can do is just sleep through the night." The Night Fury placed his head down onto the ground in response. Hiccup then laid his head down on Toothless's back,

_And this is what I get for not listening to Astrid._ Hiccup lamented, and with that final thought running through his head, the young Viking closed his eyes.

* * *

Charades with Anna went about as well as Elsa expected. It was fun, but short. Far, far too short. As directly after, the queen had to deal with more and more work. Later that night, Elsa then slunk down onto her bed as she attempted to sleep. But Elsa was not tired, not even remotely. Unfortunately for her, she needs to sleep now, for the next day is going to be both busy and tedious for her. This did not help with Elsa's struggle. As she tossed and turned on her bed, Elsa became self-conscious about the uncomfortable tightening of her muscles. Elsa then opened her eyes and sighed. There was no way she was going to sleep anytime soon, no matter how hard she tried. Disgruntled, Elsa got out of her bed, and began to pace around the room. As she paced, Elsa's mind began to wonder about. Thoughts of her responsibilities took top priority, followed closely by the irritating prospect of her duties for the next day. To avoid overbearing herself, Elsa's thoughts began to wander towards smaller, more random thoughts and ideas. Some ideas involved Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, for more than just charades. But then, Elsa began to remember something else, as images of the strange, dark object falling from the sky began to slowly take priority in her mind.

Three light knocks echoed from the door. Elsa let out a surprised yelp.

"Elsa?" Anna called out? "Are you awake?"

"Um, yes?" Elsa responded, still somewhat shaken from the surprise.

"Oh, good. Sorry for scaring you." Anna then said.

"Wait, why aren't you asleep?" Elsa then asked.

"I guess for the same reason as you." Anna answered, "Just not tired enough." Elsa chuckled.

"Well, come in." The door slowly opened, as Anna peaked her head through the opening. Once Anna actually entered the room, Elsa quickly noticed how Anna stumbled as she walked, leaning onto the walls for support. "Are you sure that you weren't tired?" Elsa asked, with a smug smile on her face. She knew how Anna was not one to conserve her large pool of energy. Anna pouted as she rubbed her eyes.

"Well I still couldn't sleep, so I wasn't lying." Anna retorted. Elsa smiled.

"So, why are you up?" Elsa then asked.

"Well, I had just remembered something that I was supposed to tell you." Anna stated. Elsa's expression subtly changed, letting Anna know that she's gotten her sister's attention. "So, I've talked to the guys at the council, and I've told them about all the stuff you have to do tomorrow." Elsa's eyes began to widen ever so slightly as a feeling of disbelief began to grow within her. "And so, Arendelle is giving you a break for the whole day tomorrow!" Anna declared. Elsa could only look at her sister's cheerful attitude with a gaze of confusion. The queen began to wonder if she was actually asleep.

"What, what do you mean…" Elsa began to ask, but she was immediately cut off by Anna's newfound energy.

"Come on, everyone in the kingdom knows how hard you're working day in, day out." Anna stated. "No one's gonna blame you for taking a one-day break."

"Okay, but what about-" Elsa again started.

Yes, yes, yes. Your meeting has been officially postponed to next week." Anna answered with a proud smile.

"Wait, but wouldn't cause major repercussions for the kingdoms?" Elsa then asked.

"Elsa, I'm still shocked that you don't know how much influence you have at your disposal." Anna then stated, placing her fists on her hips. "You have these other kingdoms wrapped around your fingers."

"Which isn't a good thing you know." Elsa responded. Anna partially lost her balance.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. But you know what I mean." Anna said. "Just, for now get some sleep, because you're still going to need that energy tomorrow." Anna then made her way to leave the room. But just before closing the door, Anna turned around. "Just relax, and have a good night's sleep Elsa." Anna smiled as she finished, and with the door closing, Elsa smiled as well.

"Good night, Anna." Elsa whispered, before letting out a long yawn.


	5. A Wake-Up Call

Hiccup's night wasn't short, but eventually, when Hiccup opened his eyes, he was greeted by the bright blue sky and the light chirping of birds. The young Viking then stretched, as he turned to check on Toothless. Toothless himself was still sleeping soundly, which Hiccup quickly confirmed with the Night Fury's steady breathing. Hiccup let out a small sigh as he got to his feet. With a quick survey of the land around him, nothing seemed to be too out of place.

"Okay, hopefully that means our new friend isn't nearby." Hiccup then stated, before coming to a quick realization. "And of course our new friend isn't nearby." Hiccup groaned. He then headed back towards Toothless, reexamining his friend for anything that might be off. Again, he found nothing. "Okay buddy, you look healthy enough. I think it's time to wake up." Hiccup stated as he tapped the dragon. Toothless simply let out a sound that Hiccup recognized as grumpy mumbling. "Come on, Toothless. You know we can't stay here too long." Hiccup said. Toothless then slowly opened his eyes, attempting to make an intimidating expression with squinting eyes. A part of Hiccup couldn't help but find that comical.

"I know, Toothless. It sucks, but we have to move." Hiccup then stated. Toothless then stretched, letting out a rather loud yawn. "Alright, I think for now we should stick to the ground." Hiccup then proposed. "We've already flown a long way to get here, so you're probably tired, and we don't know if there are locals around this area, let alone if they are friendly to dragons." Hiccup argued. "If we fly, we're exposed to both the new dragon and whoever might live here. So what do you say?" Toothless responded with a skeptical tilt of the head. "Hey, it's not perfect, but it's the best I've got for now." Toothless then let out a short, questioning noise, gesturing to the Viking on where they're headed. Hiccup looked around again. Hiccup was fairly surprised at the fact that the forest the duo had found themselves in wasn't as thick as he first assumed. He had managed to see past the forest and notice that they were surrounded by cliffs on three sides.

"Well, that's convenient." Hiccup mused. He then looked back at his companion. "Well, it looks like we've got a path to follow. You ready to go?" Toothless made no noise, but his eyes told Hiccup everything. Hiccup let out a short chuckle. "Say, you wanna lead, or shall I?" Hiccup suggested. Both Hiccup and Toothless then chuckled at the empty suggestion, as they began making their way towards wherever their path takes them.

With nothing but the sounds of crunching grass, the chirping of songbirds and the light snapping of sticks, the day seemed to be an ideally blissful time. Even the sun could still be seen above the trees, but neither Hiccup nor Toothless could feel at ease. On one hand, the songbirds were at least a moderately decent indicator of the land around them being clear of any unusual danger, and seeing the sun meant that the duo had a convenient path to follow. But on the other hand, that was also their biggest problem. Being able to see the sun so clearly from the ground meant that they were exposed to an attack from above, and at any moment, those songbirds could halt their songs. The Viking-dragon duo continued their trek through the woods, though eyeing whatever dark corner they could spot did cause some delay. But besides that, the trek was mostly uneventful. For a few brief moments, Hiccup and Toothless began to notice and appreciate the bright greens of the flora as well as the noises being made from their steps. But they were very brief moments. For a majority of the walk, all Hiccup could think about was the new dragon, glancing at random parts of the forest, with an over-active mind telling him that their new friend was ready to pounce. But as of right now, those songbirds are still singing.

"We really could use another spare for your tail, huh Bud?" Hiccup lamented to Toothless. The Night Fury let out a low warbling purr in agreement. Hiccup then glanced at his buddy's tail again and began to ponder about something.

"That dragon has some good eyes." Hiccup then stated. "Most other dragons don't notice the fact that you have a prosthetic tail. Despite the fact that we usually paint it bright red." Toothless's expression changed to a quizzical look. "But this dragon went straight for your tail. And what was with dragon's fire?" Hiccup then inquired. "At first it looked the same as Changewing acid, but then it ignited into flames on its own." Hiccup quickly arrived at a disturbing realization. "And with a tail like a scorpion, and a hunger for anything fresh, if that dragon reaches a farm or Thor forbid a village…" Hiccup then hastily mounted Toothless. "We've got to move, fast." Hiccup said urgently. Toothless obliged, as he raced through the forest, in the hopes to find something beyond the trees and get there before their new friend.

* * *

Elsa hadn't realized that she dozed off in the carriage, which was actually Kristoff's sled modified with wheels, until she had been woken up by the carriage hitting a particularly big bump. Once she was awake, Elsa was then greeted by a small, happy snowman.

"Hi Elsa." The snowman cheerfully said. "I hope you enjoyed your nap." Elsa let out a yawn as she stretched.

"Hi Olaf." Elsa replied. "Sorry," Elsa then rubbed her eyes. "I didn't snore did I?" She asked. She then turned to her right to see Anna attempt to give Olaf a subtle signal, all the while trying very hard to hold back a tiny giggle.

"Honestly, you kinda sounded like an ogre." Olaf answered. He then turned to Anna with a guilty look. "Sorry. I didn't want to lie, even if it hurts." Elsa let out a small chuckle.

"Okay, then how long was my nap?" Elsa then asked.

"Well, you kinda slept for the whole trip." Kristoff stated.

"Wait, I did?" Elsa ruefully asked.

"But, I wouldn't worry about it." Anna then interjected. "I mean, there wasn't much to see during the trip."

"Oh, and plus, it's completely normal for people to feel drowsy or sleepy during cart rides." Olaf added. "Rhythmic motions have a tendency to do that." Elsa then slumped into her seat, letting out a sigh of pure disappointment.

"But hey, you're now rejuvenated," Anna stated. "You don't need to feel guilty about it."

"I know, it's just," Elsa stuttered, "I really don't want to lose any more time with you." Anna then eyed her sister with a serious gaze.

"Hey, look at me Elsa." Anna said sternly. Elsa looked back at her sister. "It wasn't your fault. It never was. What matters now is that we're together here." Anna then gave Elsa a soft smile. "Plus, we're almost there, so just focus on having fun." Anna then turned forward to look at Kristoff. "We are close, right Kristoff?"

"Yeah, we should. Just one more hill and we should be able to see it…" Kristoff's words then trailed off. His carriage had been moving up a hill when he immediately noticed multiple streams of thin black clouds. But Kristoff also noticed that the black clouds were too low in the sky, and then everyone in the carriage was hit with this foul choking stench. Kristoff then yelled for his Reindeer to speed up. Those clouds in the sky weren't clouds, they were smoke. Fun would have to wait for the Queen, for their destination had been set ablaze.


End file.
